Supply and shutoff connection for flush tanks



Aug. 8, 1950 F. GOETZ SUPPLY AND SHUTOFF CONNECTION FOR FLUSH TANKS Fil ed July 12, 1948 FIG. I.

INVENTOR.

HARRY F. GOETZ W ,WM 1; ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1956 SHUTOFF CONNECTION FOR FLUSH TANKS SUPPLY AND Harry F. Goetz Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to 'Ifeahen Associates, Inc., Detro1t, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 12, 1948, SerialNo. 38,324 i ciaims. (01.4-13) The invention relates to water closets of that type in which the tank is mounted on the bowl. For the installation of such closets it is necessary to have roughing in plumbing including the soil pipe and a water supply. These elements are positioned in a predetermined relation to each other which generally corresponds to the relative positions of elements in the closet, to be respectively connected thereto. However, the

roughing 'job is never very accurate, and it frequently happens that after the setting of the bowl in connection with the soil pipe the water inlet for the tank is not in exact registration with the supply conduit below the floor. A further difliculty arises where a water shutofi valve is placed to be between the floor supply conduit and the tank. The height of the tank above the floor is relatively small which renders it more difiicult to form a connection where there is misalignment. In fact it has frequently occurred that a plumber will omit the installation of the shutoii valve to more easily form the water connection to the tank.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction of connecting means which can be readily installed even Where there is considerable degree of misalignment between the floor supply conduit and the tank inlet.

It is a further obJect to accomplish this without requiring any element or elements in addition to those normally used where there is perfect alignment.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an integral tank type of water closet installed with my improved equipment;

Fig. 2 is a full size elevation of the water connecting means;

Fig. 3 is a diagram plan view showing the adjustment of the valve to effect alignment.

A is a water closet having integral therewith, or mounted thereon, a tank B and C is a supporting standard, all of usual construction. The standard C is set in relation to the soil pipe D beneath the floor and is usually placed with the tank adjacent to a. wall E. However, as the tank has its bottom above the base of the standard and also projects rearward from said standard, a space is left in which the water supply connection F, including the shutoff valve G, may be placed where concealed from direct view but readily accessible when the water is to be turned bit. The height of the tank bottom above the floor is usuallynot over eight inches but, as the valve is less than three inches, conduit sections F; and F are placed above and below the same which together with the valve G form the connection F between the floor supply conduit and tank inlet 1. l t p it p To compensate for any misalignment of the elements H and I, I have devised the following construction. The casing G of the shutoff valve G has its bottom inlet G and top outlet G later ally offset in respect to each other. One ;of the conduits F and F as for example the conduit F, is bent to have the same degree of oiisetbe-I- tween its bottom and top, ends. Thus. the, con; duit F" may be placed in relation to the casing G, so that its upper end will be in exact. align: ment with the lower conduit F On the other hand if the conduit F is turned through an angle of its offset will be added to that of the casing G to double the displacement of either one. Between these two extremes any desired degree of oifsetting may be obtained by a corresponding relative rotation of the members F and G. With the construction as just described all that is required to properly align the lower end of the conduit F and the upper end of the conduit F, respectively, with the floor supply conduit and the tank inlet is to rotate the valve casing E about a vertical axis. As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3, 0, indicates the upper end of the valve and b the laterally ofiset lower end. When the valve is in the position indicated in Fig. 1 the lower offset conduit F represented by the dotted line 0 is in a plane coinciding with the plane of oifset of the upper and lower ends of the valve, thereby bringing the lower end of the conduit F in vertical alignment with the upper end of the conduit F. As the valve is turned into the position 2, the plane of offset of the conduit F is at an angle to the plane of ofiset of the valve bringing the lower end of the conduit F to point D. Where the valve is in position 3, the lower end of the conduit F is at point d, or in case the offsetting oi the conduit F is in the same plane but opposite to the ofisetting of the valve the lower end of the con duit F will be at c. This is the maximum amount of adjustment that, can be rendered by rotating the valve relative to the conduits F and F. Such change of position of the valve is not detrimental for it is only shut ofi at rare intervals and the angle at which the stem of its operating handle extends is of no importance. In fact any angle throughout the full 360 might be used but only 180 of rotation is required between the zero and maximum degree of offsetting. Obviously with such a construction there is no excuse for the plumber to omit the installation of the shut off valve for it assists him in positioning the upper and lower ends of the connecting conduit in registration with their respective cooperating elements.

What I claim as my inventionis:

l. A supply and shutoil connection comprising a valve having the casing thereof provided with laterally offset inlet and outlet portions at opposite ends thereof, and a conduit section having a similar offset between its opposite ends coupled to one of said portions.

2. A supply and shutoff connectioncompri'sing a, valve having the casing thereof provided with the laterally offset inlet and outlet portions at. opposite ends thereof, a pair of conduit sections connected respectively to said portions; one of said conduit sections having a corresponding offset between its ends, whereby anangular adjustment of said valve-will vary thedegree of onset betweenthe outer ends-of said conduit sections.

3; The combination witha positioned -water closet and a relatively variablypositioned Water supply conduit, of a supply andshutoff connection between said water supply-conduit andsaid closet comprising avalve having the casing thereof provided with a laterally offset inlet and outlet portion at opposite ends thereof, a pair of conduit sections connected with said respective "portions and together with said valve extending between said water supply conduit and said water closet, one of said sections having a-sir'nilar offset between its opposite ends whereby an angular a adjustment in the position of said valve will vary tion between said water service conduit and inlet to said tank, comprising a valve having the casing thereof provided with laterally offset inlet and outlet portions at opposite ends thereof, and a pair of conduit sections connected to said portions, one'of said sections having a corresponding offset therein; whereby an angular adjustment of position of said valve will vary the offset relation between the outer ends of said conduit sections to register the same with the elements to which they are connected.

- HARRY F. GOETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the file of this patent:

'UNiTE'D STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,137 Butler Jan 10,1888 566,470 Ricketts Aug. 2-5, 1896 2,257,134. Sloan Sept- 30,. 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 460,604 Great Britain' s Feb. 1, 1937 466.806 Great Britain June 7,1937. 

